Hey Ozzies, what's life like in Sydney?

[Eurobabe]

Possiblity that my hubby might be working there for a few months, and that I will come with.

Honestly, I don't know the first thing about everyday life in Australia other than the seasons are switched. And you get fires, there's been a drought, etc.

Can you help a clueless Ami out? Right now we are in Germany. (I am seriously frightened at the potential loss of ski season which is coming up. :banghead: However the ocean has its appeals too. :shrug:

Vielen Dank!

[Esra Star]

1. All I can say is that I lived there for fifteen years.

It seemed to be partytime mostly.
My favourite address was Manly. It has most things that you want and it is a ferry ride from
the city centre.
There should be a ton of information on the net. Do some research.
Cheers

[Eurobabe]

4. I can do research yes, but it is nicer to get some on the ground

reports from people who live in the area. :D I routinely do that for people who are considering moving to Munich.

Thanks for the tips :hi:

[Matilda]

2. Lived all my life here, except for three years in U.K.

Weather is great. People generally friendly, although the pace of life has become much faster over
the years. We live a little out of the city, which means slightly slower pace, but still only
30 minutes into the city outside of rush hours, which is the best option IMO.

Drought doesn't affect the cities, except for some water restrictions, especially in summer. There
are bushfires in outer areas, but not in the city and inner suburbs.

Roads, transport, parking are terrible, and will send you nuts after living in Germany. State
government hopeless. Universal health care in theory, but doesn't work so well in practice. We have
a good standard of opera, ballet and theatre, and some great restaurants in almost every area.
Plenty of good shopping in the city, but you can get most things in the suburbs without ever having
to go into the CBD, which is hell on wheels to get into and out of.

But most things can be forgiven when the sun is shining and the harbour is at its best.

[Eurobabe]

3. Thanks for the info!

I am used to chaos coming the States, but two years in Germany has made me appreciate that things run on time, are clean and orderly. Seems like this could just be a temporary project for max 3 mos. We both love the ocean, and sunshine, that's a plus. Hubby is already scouting diving sites. LOL.

We'll see what transpires, do mind if I write to you off list (if we are coming) to get some ideas for places to live? I am totally clueless. :shrug: It's nice to have contact with a native. :D

Many thanks for your reply. :hi:

-48

[Matilda]

5. Your husband will love Australia if he's a diver.

I'm not, but I believe the best places for diving are Queensland and W.A., but I don't think divers
are too disadvantaged in Sydney.

Of course, where to live will depend on where he's working, so I guess you'll have to wait and see,
but by all means PM me nearer the time, or for any particular info you need, and I'll help if I can.

[Eurobabe]

6. That's what I am afraid of...

:scared: I've spent the past 2 years studying German, the last thing I want to do is move to Australia! Nothing to do with Oz, just that I have invested so much energy and time in integrating, making friends and learning the German way of life.

TIA, and I will contact you when I know more of the specifics. :hi:

[Violet_Crumble]

7. There's ski resorts here but it's just a longish drive from Sydney...

And probably as far as the ski slopes go, it'd suck compared to Europe...

I love Sydney. I was born there so I'm probably a bit biased, but if it wasn't for the extremely high property prices there, I'd move back...

[Bear down under]

8. Do come. You'll love it.

I think it was summed up best by a very Scottish young Scotsman I was chatting to on the beach one Sunday afternoon, shortly after I had returned home after many years of living away. I remarked that his home town, Edinburgh, was just about my favourite city in Europe, and he said "Och aye, laddie -- but Sydney is Edinburgh with salt and pepper on it!"

As Matilda says, it is a very beautiful city, blessed with an incomparable setting, a nice almost-subtropical climate and relaxed and friendly people, and you'll find your interests very well catered for here. But I would recommend that if you're only here for a couple of months you base yourself fairly close to the central city if you can. Sydney is a vast metropolis, but it is also a very centralised one. I'd draw a line around the CBD, say from Paddington in the east to Newtown in the south and Balmain in the west, the old Victorian-era suburbs.

That will give you the best of Sydney on your doorstep -- the theatres, the concert halls, the best food (and you'll eat here as well as anywhere in the world) the Harbour and the beaches -- and you will then find the public transport system will serve you well. (The gripes are really mainly about poor service to the far-flung suburbs.) Jump on a train at Central and you'll find some of the world's loveliest wilderness less than two hours away; but if you have to start the trip with a long slow ride into town it rubs the shine off.

A bit of background reading for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney
A bit impersonal, but (with its links) it gives you a good and fairly accurate overview.

http://www.sydneyaustralia.com/en/
The New South Wales government's information site and a bit of a hard sell, but well packed with links to useful info

http://sydneynearlydailyphot.blogspot.com/
Sally's excellent daily photo blog, well worth spending a couple of hours on. She gives a nice feeling of what life here is like.